William press



(No Model.)

W. P. QUENTELL.

CAN OPENER. No. 380,406. Patented Apr. 3, 1888.

UNITED STATES PATENT WILLIAM PREHX QUENTELL, OF KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI.

CANEOPENER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N0. 380,406, dated April 3, 1888.

Application filed July 2, 1887. Serial No. 243,954. (No model.)

(lb all'whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM PREHN QUEN- TELL, of Kansas City, in the county of Jackson and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Can- Openers; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to an improvement in can-openers.

The widespread annoyance arising from failore to have a can-opener at hand when a can of food or other material is to be opened, as well as the many more or less severe wounds due to attempts to open a can with some unsuitable instrument, have created a demand for an opener which shall accompany the can from the time the can is sealed and labeled until it is opened for use.

The object of my present invention is to provide a convenient and effective can-opener capable of being compactly secured to a can of meat or other food or material.

A further object is to provide a simple and effective canopener capable of being manufactured at a slight initial cost, and hence suitable for general distribution in connection with canned goods without materially adding to the cost of the same.

Vith these ends in view my invention consists in certain features of construction and combinations of parts, as will behereinafter described, and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a view of the can-opener in position on a can as shipped for use. Fig. 2 shows the opener in working position. Fig. 3 is a view of the can-opener in perspective, and Fig. 4 is a view showing the can-opener secured to a circular can.

A represents a can, in the present instance having the general form of cans employed to preserve meats of various kinds.

The can-opener, consisting of the handle B, shank G, and blade I), is represented in Fig. 1 with its handle portion lying flat against the side of the can and its blade turned over and lying flat on the end of the can, in which position it is conveniently secured by means of the label E, which it is customary to attach to the can.

The can-opener is conveniently produced from a thin sheet of suitable metal, out of which it may be cut or stamped. In the preferred construction shown the handle portion B consists of an oblong piece of the sheet metal, from the central portion of one edge of which the shank O is projected, the latter being recessed near its free end to form the blade D at its extreme end. The recess F, which separates the cutting portion of the blade from the shank, extends partially across the shankextension at such a distance from the handle portion and from the extreme end of the shank-extension as to give the blade the necessary width and the shank proper the necessary length to span the rim. The blade D is pointed, as shown at d, to pierce the can, and is provided with asharp cutting-edge, as shown at d. The corner of the shank proper opposite the cutting-edge of the blade is preferably projected, as shown at c, to form a bearing on the can in advance of the blade, and there by serve as a fulcrum for working the blade as a lever. The curved edge cof the shank is also adapted to ride on the rim of the can and serve both as a fulcrum for operating the blade and also as a guide to cause the blade to travel at a uniform distance from the rim when in operation.

The blade D in the preferred construction is bent at right angles to the shank and handle portion, the bend being preferably at the end of the shank proper, as shown.

It is evident that various slight changes in the shape of the handle, shank, and blade, and in their positions relatively to one another, might be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention; hence I do not wish to limit myself strictly to the con struction herein set forth; but,

Having fully described my invention,what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1.- The can-opener consisting, essentially, of the elongated handle, the shank with its projeeted corner, and the blade turned laterally right angles to the shank, the whole con- In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribstrnoted substantially as set forth. ing witnesses.

2. The can-opener consisting, essentially, of WILLIAM PREHN QUENTELL. 5 the flat handle portion, the shank O, the blade Witnesses:

D, having the recess F, the point d, and the JAMES MORROW,

curved edge 0', substantially as described. R. M. GOODLETT. 

